Final answer:
An autoimmune disease is a condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own cells, like in Type 1 diabetes, where it destroys insulin-producing cells. These diseases can stem from molecular mimicry and involve a malfunction in regulatory T cells. They affect various organs and tissues and have a range of complex symptoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
A condition in which the body attacks itself as if it were a microbe is known as an autoimmune disease. These diseases occur when the immune system fails to recognize the body's own molecules as "self" and treats them as if they were invaders. This can result in the immune system damaging healthy cells, tissues, and organs. Type 1 diabetes is an example of such an autoimmune disease, where the immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
There are more than 80 known autoimmune diseases, and they can be initiated due to various factors including molecular mimicry. This occurs when a pathogen has antigens similar to the body's own cells, leading to the immune system mistakenly targeting its own tissues. Common autoimmune diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, and systemic lupus erythematosus, each affecting different organs and tissues within the body.
Regulatory T cells, which normally help regulate the immune response, can malfunction in autoimmune disorders. Consequently, instead of protecting the body, the immune system contributes to organ damage and a variety of symptoms that can be challenging to diagnose due to their fluctuating nature.